Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Egypt's Christians Outraged By Court Ruling

Egypt's Christians
Outraged By Court Ruling

(AINA) -- The verdict passed by the Minya Criminal Court on
May 21 convicting 12 Copts to life imprisonment while acquitting eight accused
Muslims in the same case, known as Abu Qurqas sedition, has caused widespread
anger among the Copts. Georges Wahib of United Copts, who attended the court
session, said that when judge Abdel Fattah Ahmed al-Sughayar pronounced the
verdict at the court yesterday "there was complete silence, as it came as a
shock to everyone, then cries of grief and wailing could be heard from the
Coptic families with shouts of we are innocent, while the Muslim side broke out
into jubilation and shouts of Allahu Akbar."
All prisoners were taken to the basement, and the court itself was surrounded
by hundreds of military police. For security the court session was transferred
to Beni Suef from Minya Criminal Court.
The events of the case started on April 18, 2011 over a speed hump built in
front of the residence of a wealthy Coptic lawyer, Alaa Reda Roushdi, which a
minibus driver claimed was damaging cars. The fight that broke out led to the
death of 2 Muslims, injury to 4 Copts, and the destruction and looting of
Coptic-owned homes and businesses (AINA 4-26-2011).
Many rights groups criticized the verdict as being "unbelievable" and
"extremely harsh" towards the Copts. All the Muslims defendants, "who torched at
least 56 Coptic homes, as well as businesses and barns, were acquitted," said
Wagdi Halfa, defense attorney of the Coptic victims, in an interview aired
yesterday by Coptic TV Channel. He expressed his incomprehension at how Coptic
lawyer Alaa Reda Roushdi, who was not even in Abou Qorqas during the events, and
then kept under house arrest by the police for another three days, could get
life imprisonment.
Adel Roushdi, younger brother of Alaa Roushdi said during the same TV
interview that the Islamists wanted to get rid of his brother because of the
parliamentary elections, where his brother was sure to win. He accused the
police chief in Abou Qorqas of planning the whole episode.
Dr. Naguib Gabriel, president of the Egyptian Union Human Rights
Organization, said that one should not keep silent over the continuing harsh
verdicts against the Copts. He called upon the military council to stop the
implementation of this ruling and to order a re-trial of the case in an ordinary
court in another district. He said "where is the conscience and faith of the
judge in connection with the torching of Christian homes and shops by Muslims,
as reported by the police?" He also questioned the reason for having the case in
front of an Emergency State Security court, where no appeal is allowed, while
the charges were murder, attempted murder, congregation and carrying of
firearms.
Michael Monier, an American-Egyptian activist and head of Life Party,
described the verdict as racist and unjust, adding that "it also shows that the
Egyptian judiciary takes its orders from higher authorities."
The European Union of Coptic Organizations for Human Rights (EUCOHR) issued a
statement yesterday that it will not keep silent about the injustice in this
case, and that it is calling for an urgent meeting with members of the European
Parliament in Brussels to explain the tragedy of Copts in Egypt . They called
upon the governing Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to use its constitutional
powers to nullify this verdict and present the defendants to another court,
where the rule of law and human rights are honored.
Dozens of Coptic human rights organizations and hundreds of Copts staged a
sit-in at midday on May 22 in front of the Cairo High Court, denouncing the
court ruling. The protesters raised banners bearing the phrase "by the mercy of
God, the Egyptian judiciary is dead" and "This is a Country governed by beards
and not the law." They chanted "Down with the military," "Muslims and Christians
-- one hand," and demanded the equal application of justice and
non-discrimination between Egyptians.
Attorney Karam Gabriel, who was present at the sit-in, said that the deputy
attorney general called the Coptic lawyers and they presented their grievances
against the Court's ruling, "which is beyond belief." He said that the deputy
attorney general promised to have a look at the verdict and could then present a
grievance memo to the military commander. Karam also said that the president of
the bar association will also send a grievance memorandum, because one of the
twelve convicted Christians is Alaa Roushdi, a lawyer."
Pastor Boutros Anba Bola, who was at the sit-in today, explained that this
unjust verdict is passed at this point in time before the presidential election
by an Islamist judge in order to make the Christians feel low and depressed so
as not to participate in the voting, besides penalizing them for not wishing to
vote for Islamists. He told Coptic activist Mariam Ragy in an audio interview
that although he is not supposed to recommend any candidate, still he recommends
General Ahmad Shafik, "as he is the best one for the Copts."
In Alexandria, nearly two thousand Copts and Muslims have staged a protest in
front of the high court denouncing the "unjust verdict of the Salafist
judiciary, said activist Grace Iskandar from International Echo Organization. He
said that their sit-in will remain until a just verdict is achieved. Another
protest in scheduled in Alexandria for Saturday May 26.
By Mary Abdelmassihhttp://www.aina.org/news/20120524134813.htm

About Me

Mr. Morris Sadik is one of Egypt's leading human rights advocates. He is President of the Egyptian Center of Human Rights for National Unity in Cairo. In October 1999, he became Advocates' Counsel for Middle East Affairs with a special focus on Egypt, as well as a director of our International Institute for Law. He is a fearless scholar and a recognized expert in constitutional and human rights law. Working as a team, Morris and Nagi have already scored a major victory this October when they joined forces to defend Adly Shakir, a Christian sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. As a result of Morris's advocacy before the Supreme Court in Egypt and Nagi's networking in Washington on Capitol Hill and among the diplomatic community, Mr. Shakir's death sentence was reversed. But the battle for Mr. Shakir's life is not over. A new trial is set for January. In addition, Nagi and Morris are working on the infamous Al-Kosheh incident, in which 1,200 Christians were tortured. Advocates International Morris Sadek Esq is apresident of national American coptic Assembly - non profit org
Email - morrissdk@gmail.com